Bad News on the Door Step

Mark Dunagan
03/01/09 - Sunday Evening

For some time now we have been reading about and seeing reports on the Evening News about the tough economic times that this country is facing. I just read in the February 2nd issue of theOregonian that the First Unitarian Church in downtown Portland is closing down for the entire month of July because of an $185,000 budget deficient. President Obama said on Wednesday February 4th that unless the economic stimulus package is quickly passed, the recession will turn into a catastrophe. In this lesson I want to address the question, “How should a Christians respond to a climate of economic fear?”

God has been preparing us for this

As I read the Bible or as I remember passages that I have been reading for years, God has often commented on the fragile nature of earthly wealth. One of His answers to us might be, “This is fairly typical, I have seen this many times before, and believers in past ages have often done just fine in such times”.

• “Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For certainly wealth makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward the heavens” (Proverbs 23:4-5)

It wasn’t that long ago in our culture that some people probably thought this proverb was no longer true, that is, that we had solved the problem of wealth being unstable.

• “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19).

This is a helpful reminder

It is very healthy to be “let down” by material things, and is one of the most important lessons we can learn. Material things; whether possessions, jobs or investments, were never designed to be “recession proof”. Everything earthly, by its very nature, is temporary (2 Corinthians 4:18). There has never existed an economy that is so stable that it never fluctuates and there never will be. Even in the golden age of Israelite history, during the glory days of Solomon, money was still lost in various investments, and Solomon saw it happen (Ecclesiastes 5:14). Economies will always be fragile because unpredictable and fragile things compose them, including fragile men, material things, the buying habits of people, cultural trends, fads, and money.

Possessions do not define us

So much so, that various Christians could lose it all, and yet still be joyful, “For you showed sympathy to the prisoners, and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one” (Hebrews 10:34). “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13).

What generations have done without

I like living in America in the twenty-first century and I like having all the comforts of modern technology, yet it was not that long ago that generations of Christians lived without Internet access, cell phones, retirement plans, cable television, large screen TV’s, vacations, a closet full of clothes, health care coverage (something everyone should obtain) and so on. I do like such things and I hope I can continue to enjoy many of them, but at the same time I need to remind myself that generations did without most of these things, and they seemed to have done just fine, been happy, and were able to have happy kids, happy marriages, and serve God faithfully. I need to stop and reflect a little on how little I really need to live and that I can actually be happy without many modern perks. In addition, none of these things are “rights”, they are privileges. Let’s enjoy such things and be thankful, yet at the same time, let’s also have the ability to be “content” if they go away.

A Better and Abiding Possession

It is very healthy to lose something material and then come to terms with the fact that we really have not lost anything of eternal value. I like a nice, dependable car, but what really is a car, it really is nothing more than a shiny hunk of metal. I equally can appreciate a nice and comfortable home, but when you see the after affects of what a home looks like after it has collapsed by an earthquake, hurricane or tornado, it dawns on you that a house is really nothing more than an organized pile of materials. I can also appreciate a beautiful and scenic piece of property, and yet in the eternal scheme of things, a piece of property is mostly dirt. This is one reason why Jesus was exhorting us to attach our heart and devotion to things that will not disappoint us (Matthew 6:21). “Laying up treasure” is the same process as “setting your heart” (Colossians 3:1) on something. Notice that this is a choice. We do choose what we love; we do decide what will be the subject or theme of our day dreams and energy. Fall in love with God and heaven and you will never be disappointed (1 Peter 2:6).

Just Tools

In other passages we have often been advised to put God at the head of our priority lists (Matthew 6:33; Mark 12:30; Luke 14:26). Houses, cars, and even jobs were never meant to be the final destination, and yet in our culture they have turned into “the goal”. We even speak of various homes or places as being “dream homes” or a “dream destination”, and yet the dream is going to be very short-lived if all our hopes are wrapped up in such. All material things are just tools for doing the really important work of encouraging Christians, spreading the Kingdom, and supporting our families. The dream destination has always been heaven, and everything material thing is simply a tool to help ourselves and others make it to this goal. I like the Holy Spirit’s description of a productive job as being the tool to not only provide for my family (1 Timothy 5:8), but equally, “in order that he may have something to share with him who has need” (Ephesians 4:28).

The Blessings

There are a number of huge blessings during uncertain economic times:

Forced to make a change… maybe for the better

If I find myself laid off from a job it might be a blessing in disguise. We tend to get comfortable, even in a career or job that we might not like that much. A lay off might lead to a far more rewarding occupation – maybe even with better pay, or maybe with less. It is like reshuffling the deck – you might just end up with a much better hand. Being out of work can also lead to rewarding times with family and spouse, and rewarding opportunities for service. You might even start planning right now, “If I lose my job what should I do with my time (as I am looking for another one)?” Just this month I saw an example of what looked like a tragedy turn into a triumph. A football player who started out with the Detroit Lions (which ended up losing every game this season) was released and then signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, which ended up winning the Super Bowl. So, what initially looked like a discouraging situation (losing a job) turned into a wonderful blessing.

Time…

Something I often hear people complaining about is that they do not have enough time. In fact, in our modern culture one of the most common challenges in getting bible studies with people is finding time in their schedule. Having fewer hours at work or less money to do things is not necessarily a bad thing if it means that I have more time to evaluate my life, read my bible or learn about God, or become a Christian. If these economic times force people to slow down, spend less time at work, stay home more often, depend on their neighbors a little more – those are all blessings.

Relearning Valuable Skills

For quite a while our culture has seemed to place a priority of being “entertained” and deriving their happiness buying things or doing something that costs money. I think a very valuable life skill is learning to entertain yourself. I think there is a great need in our culture to develop once again the skills of reading, writing, corresponding with others, visiting neighbors and friends, having people over, helping others with projects, learning to repair things yourself, making do, cooking at home, making things last a little longer, and having conversations with others about things that really matter, especially their relationship with Christ and eternity (1 Peter 3:15). No matter what happens to us let us use every circumstance to draw nearer to God.